Sheep foot tamper



July 7,1959 T. P. AVERETTE SHEEP FOOT TAMPER Filed Feb. 10. 1956 moms RAVERETTE IN V EN TOR.

14/ lorngy United States Patent G SHEEP FOOT TAMPER Thomas P. Averette,Van Nuys, Calif.

Application February 10, 1956, Serial No. 564,694

3 Claims. (Cl. 94-48) My invention relates to tampers of the sheep foottype comprising a shank welded onto a cylindrical metallic roller, and atamping foot having detachable engagement with the shank to permitremoval of the foot so that when it becomes worn it can be replaced orrepaired.

It is the main purpose of myinvention to provide a sheep foot tamperthat embodies a structure by which the foot can be securely locked infixed position on the shank, and yet readily detachable from the shankwhen desiring to repair or replace the foot.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a sheep foot tamperofthis. type characterized by the shank, as welded on the roller, beingformed in its outer end with a tapered socket, a'tamper'foot having anintegral stem received in the socket and similarly tapered, and a pinextendable through the shank and the socket and so engageable with thestem as to draw it into frictional wedge engagement with the socket andto lock it therein against withdrawal or turning. Additionally, thelocking pin is provided with a portion which can be bent to engage anouter portion of the shank in a manner to prevent accidental withdrawalof the pin, such pin portion being shearable to permit detachmentthereof and thus allow removal of the pin incident to the removal of thestem from the socket when replacing a worn tamper foot with a new one,or when repairing the worn foot.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide in a sheep foot tamperof this type, a releasing tool which, when driven into the shankfunctions to release the stem in relation to the socket so as to allowready removal of the foot from the shank when required once the lockingpin is removed.

With the foregoing purposes in view, together with such other purposesand advantages as may subsequently appear, I will describe only one formof sheep foot tamper embodying my invention, and will then point out thenovel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing the shank and foot of the tamper inperspective.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view partly in vertical section, showing theparts of the tamper assembled and locked together by the locking pin.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2, and in addition showing in broken lines the stem releasing toolin position for actuation to release the stern.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View similar to Fig. 2 butwith the locking pin removed, and showing the releasing tool applied torelease the stem incident to removal of the foot from the shank.

Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the locking pin.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view of a tamping roller showingit equipped with the sheep foot tampers embodying my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the shank of the sheep foottamper is indicated generally at A, and

the demountable tamper foot element at B. The shank A is preferablyformed of ductile cast steel so that it is rendered subject to beingreadily mounted on the periphery of a metal cylindrical roller C asindicated in Fig. 6 by a weld joint. The foot element B may be formed ofheat-treated cast steel to render it resistant to abrasive wear.

The shank A comprises an elongated tapered body 10 which may be ofrectangular form in cross section as illustrated, or it may be round. Ineither event, it is uniformly tapered from end to end, and its large endhas a concave bearing surface 10a which conforms in curvature to theperiphery of the roller C to which it is welded. In the smaller end ofthe body 10 a socket 11 is formed which extends downwardly into the bodyfor a distance approximately one-half of its length. This socket is on aslight taper from end to end. Spaced upwardly from the lower end of thesocket 11, an opening 12 is formed transversely in the body 10 which isintersected by the socket (see Figs. 2 and 4). Below the opening 12, andso as to intersect the socket 11 at its lower end, is a second opening13 that parallels the opening 12.

The tamper foot element B comprises a foot 14 which may be of therectangular form shown, or in the general form of a foot, and a stem 15fixed on the underside of the foot, such stern being circular in crosssection and tapered to conform to the taper of the socket 11 so that itcan be completely extended thereinto as intended to cause the foot toseat on the end of the body 10.

A groove 16 that is rounded transversely except at its lower side whereit is flattened as indicated at 16a, is formed transversely in the stem15 at a point along its length such that when the stem is inserted inthe socket 11 it comes into alignment with the opening 12, that is, itbridges the parts of such opening so that the latter is madecontinuousfrom end to end to receive therein a locking pin P.

The pin P is of circular form for a portion of its length adjacent thehead or striking end 17 thereof, and then flattened at one side andtapered to its opposite end to form a wedge 18. The length of pin Pexceeds that of the opening 12 for a purpose to be describedhereinafter.

A releasing tool T is provided for forcing the stem 15 free of thesocket 11 incident to removal of the foot 14 from the shank body 10, andthis tool comprises a straight shank having a non-circular portion 19,and a rounded portion 20 tapering into a pointed end portion 21.

In the application and operation of my invention, the shanks A areaflixed to the outer periphery of the roller C to project radiallytherefrom, by welding the concave surfaces 10a to the circumferentialsurface of the roller. After so affixing each shank to the roller, thefoot B is applied to the outer end of the shank by inserting the stem 15into the socket and to the position shown in Fig. 2, it being understoodthat the stem is so positioned circumferentially that the groove 16 isaligned with the opening 12.

This operation is succeeded by driving the locking pin P into theopening 12 with its flat side 18 lowermost so that it engages the flatside 16a of the groove 16. The resultant action of the wedge 18 operatesto draw the stem 15 into frictional wedge engagement with the wall ofthe socket 11, and thus the foot 14 is drawn into contract with theshank body 10 and firmly held in proper position thereon.

In the final position of the pin P a portion 18a thereof projects fromone side of the body 10 as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2. This portioncan, by the use of a hammer, be bent downwardly to the right angularposition shown in solid lines to repose within a recess 10b in the body10.

With the pin P secured in place as described, it functions to maintainthe stem in frictional wedge engagement with the socket to hold the foot14 against turning on the shank, as well as accidental detachmentthereof from the shank, the bent end portion 18a of the pin serving tolock the pin against accidental displacement from the opening 12. V

In the event it becomes necessary to remove the foot 14 from the shankbody either for the purpose .of replacement or repair of the foot, suchremoval can be readily efiected and without the necessity of driving thefoot outwardly from the shank, which is extremely difficult..

First the pin P is removed by cutting the end portion 18a therefromthrough the use of a hammer and chisel, when the pin can be driven fromthe opening 12 by a suitable tool, say the tool T. This is followed bypartly inserting the tool T, pointed end first, into the opening 13, andthen driving it to the position shown in Fig. 4, whereby the taperedportion 20 acts against the lower end of the stem 15 to lift the stemand free it from the socket 11. Thus by now gripping and pullingupwardly on the foot 14, the stem is removed from the socket for repairof the foot, or to allow a new foot and stem to be applied to the shank.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of sheep foottamper embodying my invention, it is to be understood that variouschanges and modifications may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What -I claim is:

1. A sheep foot tamper, including: a shank one end of which is suitablefor welding onto a cylindrical metallic roller, and the other end ofwhich is fiat, the shank having a tapered socket axially therein withits large and entrance end in said fiat end; a tarnping foot having oneside thereof flat and symmetrical with said flat end of the shank; atapered stern fixed at its large end to said side of said foot andreceived in the socket, said stern adjacent its inner end having atransverse groove therein one wall of which is flattened; said shankhaving a transverse opening therethrough aligned with said groove; and alocking pin removably fitted in said opening and said groove, said pinhaving a flattened and tapered side engaging said flattened wall fordrawing said stem into frictional wedge engagement with the socket.

2. A sheep foot tamperas embodied in claim 1 wherein said shank isprovided with arsecond opening into which the inner end of said stemprojects, said second opening adapted to receive a tapered tool forloosening said stem in said socket so that it may be removed from thelatter once said locking pin is removed from said shank.

3. A sheep toot tamper, including: a shank one end of which is suitablefor Welding onto a cylindrical metallic roller, and the other end ofwhich is flat, the shank having a tapered socket axially therein withits large and entrance end in said flat end; a tamping foot having oneside thereof flat and symmetrical with said flat end of the shank; atapered stem fixed at its large end to said side of said foot andreceived in the socket; a locking pin removably fitted in the shank andextending across the stern for 're taining the latter in said socket;and coacting means on said pin and said stem for drawing the latter intofrictional wedge engagement with the socket resultant of driving saidpin across said stem, said means comprising a groove in said stemadjacent the inner end thereof and having a flattened'wall, and said pinhaving a flattened and tapered side engaging said wall.

References Cited in the file .of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS479,696 Bissell et a1. July 26, 1892. 688,860 Kay Dec. 17, 1901 894,250Woods July 28, 1908 1,404,260 Arnold Jan. 24, 1922 11,484,406 OttingerFeb. 19, 1924 1,506,442 'O Hara Aug. 26, 1924 2,312,471 Low Mar. 2, 19432,334,778 LeTourneau Nov. 23, 1943

